Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers will square off against defending champions, Tunisia today in their second game at the ongoing 2025 FIBA Men’s AfroBasket Championship in Angola.
D’Tigers got their Group B campaign off to a right note with a 77-59 victory over the island nation of Madagascar on Wednesday.
In the second meeting between Nigeria and Madagascar in the AfroBasket since 2011, it was the D’Tigers again that notched victory with a game-high 22 points from Caleb Agada.
His teammates, Stan Okoye (13 points), team captain Ike Nwamu (12 points) and Kaodirichi Akobundu (10 points) contributed to Nigeria’s victory.
But their next opponent, Tunisia, presents a formidable test having lost their first game 65-86 to Cameroon, ending a decade-long unbeaten run in the AfroBasket tournament.
The North Africans are two-time AfroBasket champions and last defeated Nigeria in the 2017 final, winning 77–65.
However, Nigeria has had the upper hand in recent meetings, including a group-stage win in the 2021 edition.
According to FIBA’s head-to-head records, Nigeria and Tunisia have met six times in AfroBasket history, with Nigeria winning four of those encounters.
D’Tigers’ coach, Mohammed Abdulrahman hinted that all the corrected errors from Wednesday’s game will help his lads but admitted that they also need to add fresh ideas to overcome the highly technical Tunisians, as they did against Madagascar.
He is now hoping for sterner stuff from his players in order to beat the Tunisians, which would put Nigeria en route to the next round in style with two wins on the bounce.
Nigeria were very good against Madagascar, playing as a team, and if they maintain their group ethic, it will help them going forward in the tournament.
The match dunks off at 2.30pm at Luanda, Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda, Angola
Meanwhile, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) President, Engr. (Dr.) Ahmadu Musa Kida, has issued a rallying call to D’Tigers to remain focused and humble as they prepare for their second game.
“As you prepare to face Tunisia on Friday, I urge you to remain focused, stay humble, and play with the same intensity and teamwork that brought us this first win,’ Kida said. ‘Every game is a new challenge, and every challenge is an opportunity to show the world what Nigeria stands for—resilience, excellence, and pride.”
Today’s encounter at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda is pivotal for both sides as they aim to secure top spots in Group B.
The winner will take a significant step toward direct qualification to the quarterfinals, while the loser risks entering the qualification round.
With Kida’s message resonating through the camp and the team buoyed by their opening win, D’Tigers will look to build momentum and deliver another performance that reflects the pride and promise of Nigerian basketball.
Writing by Annabel Okweri